Arash Ebrahimi Far, the Australian-Iranian dual national wanted by Australia over an alleged drug network, has been detained in Colombia, where police say he had been hiding since December 2018. Colombia’s National Police announced the detention on Wednesday 1 October, saying it took place at a hospital in Copacabana, Antioquia. He remains in Colombian custody, and an extradition process is now under way.
The Detention
Police say Ebrahimi Far was wounded by gunfire days before his detention and treated at a hospital in Copacabana, Antioquia. The circumstances of the shooting remain under investigation, and the statement gives no further detail on it. In the police account, he was intercepted as he tried to leave the facility to evade authorities, and the National Police announced the operation the same day it took place. The force’s criminal investigation and INTERPOL directorate, known as DIJIN, carried it out, with the support of the Australian Federal Police.
Who He Is
Police identify Ebrahimi Far as a “high-value target” for Australian judicial authorities, and say he is the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice for drug trafficking and money laundering, published by Australia. He is known by the aliases “Ash” and “The Kid”. A Red Notice is an international alert asking authorities to locate and provisionally arrest a person. WA Police have investigated him for years over an alleged large-scale drug syndicate supplying Western Australia, the ABC reported.
The Allegations
Police allege he held a leadership role in a transnational criminal organisation able to coordinate large drug shipments, manage significant illicit proceeds and access illegal weapons, using encrypted platforms to evade detection. They say he continued directing operations from Colombia. He has not been convicted of any offence, and the allegations have not been tested before a court.
The Australian Response
The Australian Federal Police would not discuss the operation, saying “arrests in Colombia are a matter for Colombian authorities”, and gave no operational detail. A spokesperson for Attorney-General Michelle Rowland’s office said the arrest was “pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice published by Australia” and that “the individual is wanted to face prosecution in Australia”. The spokesperson declined further comment because the matter is with Colombian authorities.
The History
Authorities say Ebrahimi Far had been hiding in Colombia since December 2018, close to eight years. ABC News reported the detention on Friday 2 October. WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said in 2022: “Finding him is not the hard part, it’s bringing him back”. The detention comes in a year of major drug seizures in Australia. In June, 2.7 tonnes of cocaine were found at a property in western Sydney, a record seizure, in a case separate from this one. No connection is alleged between that case and this man.
Facing Extradition
He is still in Colombian custody and has been placed at the disposal of the Attorney-General’s Office’s international affairs directorate, which will process formal delivery to Australian authorities. Extradition is a request, not an outcome, and it moves through both countries’ legal processes. No timetable has been given, and the process takes time.
Sources: National Police of Colombia, statement, 1 October 2026 (https://www.policia.gov.co/index.php/noticia/policia-nacional-retuvo-en-antioquia-alias-ash-presunto-capo-australiano-irani-requerido); ABC News, “Alleged drug kingpin Arash Ebrahimi Far arrested in Colombia”, 2 October 2026 (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-02/alleged-drug-kingpin-arash-ebrahimi-far-arrested-in-colombia/107221142); The West Australian, “WA drug kingpin ‘The Kid’ arrested in Colombia”, 2 October 2026 (https://www.perthnow.com.au/news/crime/accused-wa-drug-kingpin-arash-ebrahimi-far-captured-trying-to-flee-colombian-hospital-c-22960881)
Photo: Alejandro Bayer Tamayo, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Illustrative: the Aburrá Valley near Medellín in Colombia, including the municipality of Copacabana, Antioquia, photographed in December 2014. Arash Ebrahimi Far was detained in Copacabana; the detention was announced by Colombia’s National Police on 1 October 2026. This photograph is not from the detention and shows no person involved.
